Hic sunt dracones
by Kleines
Summary: Lilith is new at the fort at Hadrian's Wall and a true loudmouth. But behind her sarcastic behaviour there is a plan although she needs a bit of help from Lancelot to get going. First part humour, second part tragedy.
1. Chapter 1

For A.P.M. – just as noble, modest and brave as Arthur.

 **Hic sunt dracones**

She was new at the fort. One could easily tell by the way she handled certain things. Especially her behaviour towards the knights made the others frown for she had neither respect nor admiration for them. On the contrary, she seemed to stand up to them at every opportunity and frequently told them that they were just a bunch of show-offs. All of the knights took this rather good-naturedly, laughing at her scathing remarks because they knew very well that that loudmouth hadn't a clue about life outside the fort's protective walls. And she was extraordinarily pretty with her long, red-golden curls and blue eyes. So especially Gawein and Tristram thought Lilith good fun and teased her in return although it was obvious that she had no interest whatsoever in them, and although the two of them were quick with a touch or even a kiss, they did not dare that kind of hands-on flirtation with Lilith. Maybe because she wore a dagger at her side and was quick with drawing it. The way she handled the weapon it was clear that she was not afraid of the knights and her fast movements might have gotten them a bloody flesh wound.

So Gawein and Tristram enjoyed a verbal sparring with Lilith but Lancelot, who was normally always quick to seduce the prettiest women, kept back and barely talked to her. Bors was more or less maried to Vanora although he tried to deny it at every opportunity but everyone could see the looks passing between them. Dagonet kept to himself as always and when Lancelot came to think of it, he wasn't even sure whether his friend Galahad was really interested in women. Yet Lilith seemed to frighten him and as soon as she appeared Galahad silently vanished to another part of the fort. Whatever she wanted to accomplish with the knights, she had surely had a success with Galahad.

Lancelot fell to musing about their commander. He knew Arthur for nearly fifteen years now and he couldn't remember a single instance when he had seen him with a woman, although he could easily recall countless instances where he found him praying. Lilith hadn't made any impact on him. He simply ignored her and her comments. Sometimes his frown seemed to deepen when she was around but that was all she could get out of him. She on the contrary seemed quite interested in him, her eyes following him suspiciously and her remarks becoming louder and more sarcastic when he was around. Lancelot smirked to himself: Oh yes, the pretty Lilith was certainly interested in their commander but he doubted that she would have any luck with him. He was married to duty and a Christian god who brought him regularly to his knees. His life left no room for a woman.

Idly stretching his long legs and picking a straw from the hay beneath him, Lancelot made himself more comfortable in the stable and let his thoughts wander. Yes, it would be good fun to see what Lilith could do to Arthur because sometimes Lancelot was worried about his friend. Except for interaction with his knights and servants, Arthur lead the life of a recluse, shutting himself in his quarters and studying philosophical texts he spent enormous sums of money on. Lancelot found that strange and fascinating at the same time but whenever he discussed these treatises with Arthur he was left with a headache and Arthur gave up enlightening him on the philosophical discussions going on in Rome. In Lancelot's opinion, this was not a way to spent his life and he was rather fed up with such a moral beacon right in their midst. Not that Arthur was arrogant or proud, quite on the contrary his modesty and moral integrity made Lancelot wish for a temptation that would bring Arthur down on his knees. His friend became more and more a saint instead of a human being and Lancelot was very suspicious of all concepts of morality when they were actually put into perfect practice. Not that he was completely amoral but he had learned early in life that humans were not perfect and he quite enjoyed this human imperfection. It not only lead to amusement but also made life so much more endurable.

Lancelot indeed had the vague idea that Lilith was the key to showing Arthur that life included other things except fighting and philosophy, and he was keen on seeing this idea play out. It would be a nice change of pace compared to killing Woads, protecting clueless Romans and thinking about home. A bit of mayhem would indeed be good for the orderly Roman fort. A smile appeared on Lancelot's handsome face which would have made a young girl sigh because the trace of danger and daring gave him quite a romantic air. Content with his plan, he lead himself fall into the hay and listen to the peaceful munching sounds of the horses.

It took some days to actually get Lilith talk to him. Finally he cornered her when she was returning to the fort with a group of peasants who had been gathering firewood.

"Lilith!" his voice could be quite commanding if he chose to make use of it and she looked at him – for a moment there was a trace of fear in her eyes, Lancelot noted. So her brave appearance was a mere facade and she was well aware of the fact that the knights were not always so good-natured and well behaved. He grinned at her and her mask was firmly in place as she stepped up to him, daring him to speak to her. The other villagers just shook their heads and moved their way. Lilith seemed to be an outsider in this community but she made no effort to be part of it. All in all, she was a mystery to Lancelot but he didn't care too much.

"What is it, knight?" she asked, her temper, as always, short and flaring.

He grinned his most infuriating grin and she crossed her arms in rejection.

"I need to talk to you. In private" he explained and smiled at the look of surprise on her pretty face. But she was quick with a response: "Don't even think that I would sleep with you!"

Lancelot nearly toppled over with laughter: "Although this doesn't help my reputation I do not want to sleep with every woman I talk to."

Lilith smiled at him and he suddenly realised that there was more to Lilith than her sharp tongue and good looks. He led her to quiet place near the blacksmith's place, where he looked her over but she did not flinch from his intense gaze. Instead she smiled again and asked, "What do you want, Lancelot?"

"You do know our names!"

"Of course I do. The whole fort is singing your praise – I had no chance to not know them."

"Then, why are you such a vixen?"

"Because this was the easy way to get your attention. I am sorry for Galahad. He seems to be afraid of me."

Lancelot couldn't help but laugh. To Lilith there really was more than met the eye.

"Tell me, what is all this really about?" he asked but Lilith shook her head: "I cannot tell you because my whole plan doesn't work at all and telling you would only make it worse."

This was far from a satisfying answer but Lancelot let it drop because he had other things he wanted to discuss with her: "Look, Lilith, you are quite right when you say that the whole fort is singing our praise but when they say 'the knights' they really mean Arthur."

"I know. Jealous?" Lilith asked and her cheek was back.

"Not at all. I am a poor hero but I hope I am a good friend and I am worried about Arthur."

"Worried?" she echoed and raised her eyebrows disbelievingly. "I don't know any man who would be less in need of concern than Arthur. He is... something..." she ended gesturing helplessly but he shook his head. "Don't lie to me, Lilith. I see your eyes following him. You care."

She looked uncomfortable and blushed "Well, I may be interested in him, you know."

"Indeed I do know and I think you should make a move. It would do him good to forget about these bloody morals and enjoy himself."

"But this is exactly what's not working! I tried so hard to get his attention but I only gained a grudging respect from Gawain and Tristan. That is surely nice but not what I aimed for. He ignores me."

"True. But you're too tame. Of course you're acting differently and that got you our attention and made you an outsider at the fort but apart from that, you will get nowhere with Arthur."

"I am not an outsider, you know. The villagers venerate you and therefore they don't show that I am well part of their little community."

"What are you?" Lancelot asked bewildered because he couldn't see what function Lilith really fulfilled at the fort. The law in communities as theirs was simple: Be useful or be chucked out.

"I am a healer. I lived in the south in a religious community and learned a lot about plants, the body and its illnesses and diseases. So I am quite useful to the community but as I constantly defy you knights, the villagers are afraid that you will throw me out." She smiled sadly and he understood: She tried so very hard to get the attention of their leader that she risked everything else. Reluctantly, he had to give her his respect for that.

"Anyway, Lilith, in order to get to Arthur you need to be a bit more daring." He flashed her one of his goofy grins: "That shouldn't be a problem for you, should it?"

Lilith laughed and shook her head which sent her curls flying. For a moment, Lancelot regretted that she hadn't picked him but he was a man who would not grieve too long when there were so many other pretty girls out there. So he nodded to her and left.

Lilith was a woman of action. She had seen a lot during her time as a healer in the South and she always was amazed at people's ability to hurt each other or themselves by being sheer daft. But all of these incidents had taught her a lot. So she was confident when she mixed the herbs into the wine she was about to bring to Arthur's servant for tonight she didn't want any disturbance. The mixture would make him sleep to the morning without noticing anything.

As soon as the man was snoring away peacefully, Lilith slipped into Arthur's quarters. From his behaviour it was quite obvious that he wasn't a man of luxury but the scantiness of his rooms let Lilith doubt whether he was indeed capable of enjoying life. The boards on the wall were neatly packed with roles of parchment and papyrus and that was basically all. The only luxury were indeed lots of candles which came in handy now.

Lilith lit the candles and sorted through the stacks of writing, interested in what kept Arthur occupied all his days. As she had feared, they were mostly stoic writings – she found Seneca and Epiktet's Enchiridion, some of Cicero's speeches and of course Pelagius' publications. Lilith sighed – Arthur was as ascetic, strict and hopelessly noble as she had feared. But that was also what had drawn her in – so who was she to complain?

While she stood there musing, she didn't here the soft footsteps which drew closer to the room. She flinched as a deep voice asked incredulously: "What do you think you are doing in here?"

Lilith turned around and faced Arthur. Normally she saw him in full armour but now he only wore a tunic and trousers. She could tell that he was not so much angry but surprised – the obligatory frown was firmly in place and Lilith couldn't help but smile while she placed the roles of philosophical texts neatly back on the boards.

Then she answered him, as honestly as possible: "Finally getting your attention, Arthur."

"My attention? What would you want that for?" he asked and stepped further into his room. "Would you like..." he couldn't finish his polite offer to borrow her some of his treatises because she met him halfway and her lips were on his before he could react. Arthur was taken by surprise so he let her hands wander into his hair and Lilith revelled in feeling his short black curls under her fingertips. They were surprisingly soft, she noted. Her hands travelled deeper and cupped his cheek, his skin also softer than she had thought. Lilith sighed contently. It was ridiculous but since she had first stepped into this lonely outpost of civilization in the middle of nowhere and laid eyes on Arthur, she had wanted to do exactly this and it felt so much better than she had expected. She had always prided herself on her ratio but when it came to Arthur, nothing of that was left.

Ever so carefully, he put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her away from him but she was pleased that when he spoke, he sounded as breathless as she felt: "Lilith, what are you doing?"

She smiled at him, half seductively, half amused: "As I said: Getting your attention. Ordinary people call this kissing." And without waiting for a reply she took one of his hands and examined it while she caressed it softly: "You know, Arthur, you got my little world spinning. And I am not willing to let this happen to me. So you should have your share of dizziness." Her smile deepened as she took his hand and started placing soft kisses on his fingertips. He watched mesmerised and she could tell that he didn't know what to do. The man who kept a clear head in every battle was unable to cope when it came to such simple things. Lilith sighed again – this time because she felt so sad for him but she swore she would make it up.

She let her lips move from his fingertips along his fingers to his knuckles and to the palm of his callous hand. He stood utterly silent and with a small step she was pressed up against him again. She wrapped her arms around him and snuck one hand under his tunic. His naked skin under her hand made her sigh again and with every other man she would have simply ripped the shirt off and pressed herself wantonly against him but Arthur was different in so many ways. Sometimes his decency had made her want to cry out in frustration. At other times she had caught sight of that wild expression in his eyes when he came from battle and then she had been afraid of this man. Now he stood here as if petrified, not fighting her off but also not participating.

"Arthur... please..." she begged and stepped back in order to look in his eyes. The candles had a green fire dancing in them and he spoke in his low and slow way: "Lilith, I can't. Don't think I don't want you. You are beautiful, intelligent and not easily intimidated, and I would indeed be a fool if I hadn't noticed that you tried to catch my attention. I played daft as long as I could but I can't be your lover. I can't be anyone's lover. Every time I leave the fort and ride into battle, I can get killed and I can't leave someone behind. I don't want to cause sorrow to someone."

Lilith would have liked to laugh. "Arthur, we all can die at any moment. Invading Woads, fire, a stupid accident or a catching disease. Yes, you are a warrior but an expert warrior at that and I won't let you get off so easily. If this is the only reason – forget about it!"

He looked down on her and absent-mindedly, he caught one of her curls in his hands and twirled it around his finger. "Are you serious about this, Lilith? Or is this just a night?"

She smiled up at him and placed a kiss in the corner of his mouth: "As serious as I can get, Arthur. I wouldn't dare offering you just a night. You are far too decent for that."

He smiled, the first smile she saw on his face and she marvelled at the beauty of it.

"If that is so, Lilith, go on where you left off."

She stared at him, suddenly shy and she felt ridiculous: She had seen so much in this world and with his simple invitation he had brought her to a full stop. He chuckled and she blushed. Silently he stepped up to her again and pulled her in his arms. He murmured into her ear, "My turn then, Lilith"

His breath tickled on her skin and she nearly did squeal in delight but she stopped herself – she acted like a giddy virgin. His hands started roaming, carefully playing with her hair and he whispered: "You know, I love this look in your eyes that tells me that you want me but I am not a handsome man. I have my share of scars."

She smiled up at him and stole another, short kiss: "Arthur, I am a healer and whatever mars your body, I am quite sure that I have seen worse. So don't worry about that." She let her hands wander under his tunic again and this time he did act, allowing her to pull the fabric off. In the candlelight his skin seemed to glow in a golden tone and she could barely keep her hands off him, tracing the muscles from his shoulders to his chest where she buried her fingers in the hair that grew there. Slowly she started peppering kisses on his chest and he laughed – a deep, rumbling sound that resounded through her as she was pressed up to him.

She dared her hands travel deeper and traced several scars on his back, all the while moving deeper until she settled on his buttocks. He maneuvered them both backwards until she felt the bed behind her and she let herself fall, knowing that he would catch her if she had miscalculated. He followed suit, landing softly on top of her and this time she couldn't resist, moving restlessly beneath him and grounding against him. He laughed again: "Who would have thought that the wild banshee can be so tame?" She smiled up at him and delved into the kiss he offered. While her tongue asked for entrance, her hands had moved to his trousers and undid the buttons so that she could start tugging them to his feet.

He leaned on his arms and stared into her eyes, searchingly and questioningly: "Lilith, I don't want to hear about eternal love and all of that but I need to know what this means to you."

She smiled up at him and buried her head at the crook of his neck, nipping at the skin. He shuddered under her caresses and she whispered into his ear: "Everything, Arthur, this means everything to me. I know that you and I live in a world far too insecure to talk about the future but if it's possible I want exactly that: A future with you."

He smiled and one of his rough hands trailed the outlines of her face. She leaned into his touch and kissed his palm. Then she bit down on it and growled teasingly: "You know, I adore gentlemen but right now I would really prefer you getting me out of this dress."

"As you wish, my lady" he answered playfully and Lilith was amazed that he had such a deadpan sense of humour. He pulled the hem of her long dress up her legs and trailed her legs with his hands, tickling the crook of her knees. Her laugh delighted him and he planted soft kisses on the sensitive skin there, making her wriggle all the more. She was far too impatient for his languished way of doing things so she got herself out of her dress and stretch out on the bed. A hungry expression settle in his eyes as he roamed her body and she took his hand, pulling him down once again.

Ever so carefully, he settled between her legs and she whispered into his ear: "I hate to disappoint you but there is no need for gentleness – I am not a virgin." He laughed again, looking relieved and settled fully between her legs, staring with his unsettling green eyes into her blue ones. Lilith moved impatiently beneath him and as if that was the permission he had waited for, he thrust forward. She tried very hard not to claw at his back, so she settled for his curls, ruffling through them, pulling at them when he had hit a particularly sensitive spot and her moans and sighs grew louder and more demanding. Arthur sought for a way of silencing her and settled for kissing her again and again, trying to soften the noise she made but soon he was beyond caring.

Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she came and she arched into him, murmuring his name so softly and tenderly that he hadn't expected to hear something so intimate from her. All the emotions in these two syllables pulled him over the edge and he tried very hard to not collapse on her, being afraid he would crush her with his weight but Lilith pulled him down on her, snuggling as close as possible.

After a while he still settled next to her instead of on top of her and snagged the blanket, pulling it around both of them. Tiredly, Lilith opened her eyes and snarled: "Don't you dare to make me leave now." He put a stray curl out of the way before he settled down again: "I cling to life, you know." She smiled at him and kissed him softly on the lips before she got back to sleep.

Arthur, however, stared at the woman in his arms wondering how this had exactly come about. Loudmouth Lilith as meek as a lamb in his arms, in his bed and in his life it seemed. Draping an arm over her frame he had to admit that he did not really care as long as she came to him every night.

Arthur was an early riser. He didn't need much sleep because he had soon learned that sleeping could be potentially dangerous. His routine included an early peek from the wall because he felt calmer and more at peace when he had evaluated the situation. His knights, although all watchful, were quite fond of sleeping so that they relied on his information when they met for their muster. This morning, however, he had a hard time getting out of bed. Lilith had somehow managed to sleep on top instead of next to him. She had one arm and one leg draped over him and simply refused to let go when he tried to pry her off. And admittedly, it felt far too nice to have someone warm and soft clinging to him to invest much energy in getting up.

So he had a hard time being on time for the muster and his knights looked confused when he rushed into their meeting room, curls unruly and as sleepy as Arthur Castus could possibly look.

"You alright?" Bors asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Sure", Arthur tried to wave him off casually but Lancelot knew him far too well. Although the young knight didn't say a word, he scrutinised his commander, wondering what was going on.

"So, what do the wild Woads say this morning?" Gawain asked listlessly, hoping that they would be left in peace for one more day.

Arthur, ever disciplined and a typical Roman soldier, tried very hard to not shuffle his feet in embarrassment as he answered: "I actually don't know. I haven't been on the wall yet. Somehow I couldn't get out of bed."

Galahad took this as his cue and went to investigate. Until he returned a heavy silence reigned and Arthur felt all eyes on him. So he started talking about new manoeuvres they needed to get used to and he did a good job of filling the silence. Finally Galahad returned and reported: "All peaceful."

"Thank God!" Arthur heaved a sigh in relief and he ended their meeting. At the door, Lancelot met him, curiosity and concern clearly written all over his face. He wanted Arthur to cheer up but by his dishevelled appearance, he feared the worst.

"Arthur, are you sure, everything is fine? You look like you had a hard night and didn't get a wink of sleep?"

"Believe me, Lancelot, I am absolutely fine. I haven't slept that well in years. No need for concern. Everything is fine." Arthur tried to calm the knight, wondering why he was so concerned but he didn't waste much time with him because he hoped to find Lilith still in bed. He beat a hasty retreat to his quarters and found her getting out of bed. She smiled at him sleepily and he was greeted with a kiss but his usual frown was back in place as he looked at her.

"Lilith, I am not sure how to deal with this..." he began and she looked confused: "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean – us. Is this a thing which will turn out to be common knowledge like Bors and Vanora?"

"You don't want to go public?"

"I hate playing hide and seek, Lilith, but somehow I don't know how to handle this..." he gestured vaguely between them and made Lilith laugh.

"Brave Arthur, let this be my concern. I will handle this." She offered and gratefully he accepted, strolling out of his room, his mind on the duties he had to fulfil. He didn't see the wicked grin which graced Lilith's pretty face. Otherwise he would have probably thought twice about her offer.

The day passed uneventfully and Arthur had caught glimpses of Lilith going about her duties. Now that she was truly his, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she actually was. Her long curls flowed about her, her eyes twinkling merrily, and her every movement was graceful. He felt like a lovesick fool and he enjoyed every second of it.

Evening settle on the fort and the knights went to the tavern where Vanora awaited them with a drink, a song and a bit of fun. This night Arthur decided to join them and he was joyously welcomed in their midst. The knights didn't often see their commander socialising with them and they enjoyed having him around because they knew that he could be quite witty if he chose to be, and he was a challenge at all the games they played – he had a hand with the dices although he despised the game, his hand was steady when it came to throwing knives, and when he had had a few drinks of wine he very seldom would join Vanora in her songs. Both their voices mingled in a bitter sweet, almost hoarse tune reminding the Sarmatians of wild horses running over the steppe but in their opinion, they were afforded this luxury far too seldom. So, whenever Arthur made an appearance at the tavern, especially Gawain and Bors greeted him happily.

Lilith was also at the tavern, helping Vanora out and she flashed Arthur a quick smile bordering on wickedness that made him look forward to the night to come. None of the knights had noticed the looks passing between them. When all of them were served their drinks and conversation flowed easily, Vanora stepped behind Bors' seat and watched him at his game of dice.

Lilith had been chatting away with one or the other of the knights and they were surprised that she was so nice and tame this evening. She walked around the table in graceful, light movements until she came close to Arthur. Without a second of hesitation she slipped on his lap and settled an arm around his shoulder. Almost immediately, the knights fell silent and stared at the couple. Arthur didn't really know whether he should be amused or angry but one look in her eyes which shone with merriment and love, settled that. He just murmured: "If I had known how you would solve this little problem, I would have opted for doing it myself." In a protective and possessive way he wound an arm around her waist and smiled lovingly at her while her smile bordered on impishness as she leaned in to kiss him on the lips. The knights kept staring disbelievingly at the two of them until Bors reached for his bowl, hammering it rhythmically on the table, expressing his joy and consent in what he saw. Soon the others followed, even Galahad was attracted by the noise and when he saw his commander with Lilith in his arms, he heaved a sigh of relief because if anyone could tame this vixen it would be Arthur. He didn't have a clue that Lilith was neither a vixen nor did she need a tamer because her little show had finally gotten her what she so much had wanted.


	2. Chapter 2

Hic sunt dracones II

Arthur's laughter had been a seldom occurrence at the fort. Even his smile had been rare. Now that Lilith had come into his life, he seemed to be full of merriment. At first, the knights were confused by a light-hearted commander but they soon realised that he was still a fierce and brave leader and his watchfulness was not diminished by his new happy face – although he did have trouble getting up in the morning.

Lilith dragged him more regularly to evenings at the tavern and joined in the songs of Vanora, her voice light and clear, and she dared Lancelot to throwing knives whenever she had the opportunity. He willingly complied because Lilith was precise at what she was doing and when asked why she was so good at it, she had just shrugged and explained that as a healer you needed a steady hand. None of the knights had wanted to know more about that. Although they were fierce in battle, medicine and injuries made them uncomfortable.

Arthur on the contrary had frowned upon Lilith taking part in their frolics, not deeming it ladylike but she had soon made it clear to him that she was a lot, but certainly not a lady. This was indeed a point, Arthur had not wanted to argue with her about. So she stayed at the tavern, sang, and played with the others and the mood had grown lighter than it had been in months.

Spring was finally coming to the north of Britannia and the few trees in the fort looked like they were about sprouting leaves.

"Arthur?" Lilith had stepped into his quarters which were now their shared rooms and he looked up from the text he had been studying.

"What is it, my love?" he asked and Lilith beamed. She couldn't get enough of him calling her pet names because it was so un-Arthurian that she revelled in that warm feeling it caused her time and again.

"I would like to plant a garden. It should be useful but also beautiful – so I thought about herbs, flowers, some fruits and vegetables."

"Sounds like a good idea! Where do you want to plant it?"

"I don't know. Wherever there is some space left. I actually don't care."

He got up from his desk, wrapped an arm around her waist and they both went to investigate. They strolled through the fort, on the lookout for a fitting place. The villagers smiled at them. Had they first been bemused by this unlikely couple, they soon had come used to them appearing together and one wise old woman had commented: "It only seems right to me that the protector of the fort should be paired with the healer." Arthur was venerated at the fort but Lilith was also treated with almost regal respect because she was indeed an accomplished healer snatching some villagers from death. Her critical eye had found faults with the drinking water and construction work had been going on through the last few weeks in order to improve the quality of the water. Her new project was renovating and enlarging the baths which also brought her huge popularity because she had declared that taking a bath was surely not a luxury but a necessity. As all inhabitants of the fort who were used to cold weather, fog and rain were rather fond of a warm bath, they were eager to improve the bath-house.

"South would be good for the plants, wouldn't it?" he asked and scanned a patch of empty ground near the blacksmith's hut. It had indeed been the place that Lancelot had spoken to Lilith so many months before and she eagerly agreed.

The next few days, Arthur barely saw his lover. She was busy digging, ordering plants from the South and planning the layout of her garden. Readily she had integrated the wall of the blacksmith's hut into her patch of land and the villagers often dropped by, giving her a hand, advising and watching. The knights were laughing at her efforts to beautify the fort but she just shook her head, knowing that it was not only about beauty but also about usefulness. Galahad was the only one who didn't laugh but spent most of his free time with her digging, planting and planning. He had finally overcome his uneasiness with Lilith and they had fast become friends. Lilith liked the shy and taciturn knight a lot and tried not to tease and frighten him too much.

Lilith knew that it would take years for the garden to flower the way she wanted it but she also knew that it was worth the effort. After having her drop exhaustedly into bed next to him for two weeks now, Arthur decided that Lilith should take a break. So he went in search of her and found her dirty and muddy carrying heavy stones that should mark the different flower beds.

"Lilith!" he exclaimed in horror, realising immediately that the stones were far too heavy for her. She nearly dropped her stone because of his exclamation and cursed – unladylike.

Arthur took the stone out of her hands and was instructed where to put it. After two hours, all the stones were in place and they collapsed in a patch of grass nearby. He stared into the unusually blue sky above them and said: "You should teach me, you know?"

"Teach you?"

"About healing, the plants and herbs, their effects. One healer is not enough for the fort."

"You're the commander – you cannot be a healer at the same time. Don't take on too many duties."

"They say I am the protector of this fort. It only seems logical that I should also be a healer then, doesn't it?"

"Arthur, I know that you would be great but..." she trailed off helplessly, not wanting to add another burden to his load but he just ordered her: "You start teaching me tonight." Sometimes, Arthur simply couldn't hide that he was a soldier at heart but Lilith was a force to be reckoned with: "Let's make a deal, Arthur. I teach you about healing and you teach me about philosophy."

He kept staring into the endless blue sky but said: "Lilith, philosophy is not for women..." He had barely finished his sentence when he felt the cold blade of her dagger at his throat and went rigid. Lilith's tone was low and dangerous: "Dare to say that again Arthur Castus!" He didn't move, listening to Lilith's angry voice: "Women can do a lot, and even more than most men. And I will not be marked as a lady and put into a gilded cage. I will not be treated as a daft creature and if I say 'teach me!' you will. Otherwise you will not learn about healing. It's as simple as that, Arthur."

Arthur carefully lifted a hand to pacify her: "Lilith, I didn't mean to insult you. It's just... you do have a lot to do in the fort. The renovations going on, the garden, your duties as a healer. Philosophy is not always simple and ..."

"I will have the best teacher", she interrupted and put the dagger away, settling down again. He stared at the woman beside him and suddenly realised that this woman with her fits of temper, her knowledge and wisdom, her beauty and unconventional behaviour had indeed stolen his heart. Reluctantly, he agreed, secretly doubting whether she was able to grasp the thoughts of the Stoic. He was soon to be wiser.

Instead of spending their nights at the tavern, Arthur and Lilith could be found sitting over stacks of papyrus and parchment, discussing, reading and making notes. The knights only shook their heads about such eagerness but Lilith made sure that at least once a week they would be at the tavern, joining the light-hearted entertainment. Arthur hated leaving off his manuscripts and the whole new world of healing she had opened up to him but he realised that she was right when she said that he slowly became a recluse and an outsider.

Arthur was more and more intrigued by Lilith. She had no trouble at all grasping the essence of Seneca's writings, although she preferred Epiktet. Her Latin was improving and she started enjoying the subtle wordplays, often laughing out loud when she found something especially witty and clever. Pelagius became a favorite of hers, although she admitted freely that she found the Christian religion not at all convincing. At first Arthur was horrified but when she started to explain that she whole-heartedly agreed to compassion, love, hope and all of that, he calmed down. So he had found himself a heathen and was happy. He shook his head about his own lovesick ways but he had no intention of changing them. He was as happy as he could get.

Lilith was impressed by Arthur's stubborn intellect. He spent hours and hours memorizing plants and herbs, bone structures or the mixture of healing draughts. When she ordered him to take a break, she had to rip the parchment out of his fingers to make him stop and his protests could only be stopped with a passionate kiss and her dragging him to the bed.

Weeks passed and both got on well with their studies. The garden developed from a muddy field into an actual garden, the renovation of the water drainage was done and the baths were near completion. The whole fort was always a bee's hive during the summer months and no one, not even ever watchful Arthur noticed, that the Woads kept a very long peace. He didn't get suspicious.

It happened early one glorious morning. The sun rose from the mists and the guards on the wall were watching this beautiful view. The Woads used the cover of the fog to get close to the fort. Then they shot burning arrows over the wall and into the settlement. The summer had been very dry so far and the hatched roofs of the huts caught fire at once. The guards started yelling, some ran down the wall in order to wake the villagers who were slumbering in the burning houses.

Smoke rose into the clear morning sky when the knights came rushing on the scene, Arthur and Lilith at their heels. The horses, afraid of the fire, were running rampant and Tristan and Gawain tried to calm them down so that they could mount. Finally, the gates were opened for them and they galloped among the Woads, swords in hand. The villagers started putting out the fires. Lilith took over and ordered those injured to the south side while the others busied themselves with organising buckets, building chains and getting water on the burning huts.

Lilith was in the midst of those injured, applying a paste to the burns, tending to some broken bones and trying to calm down the frightened people. They had been getting used to peace. Otherwise this panic wouldn't have ensued. Suddenly the sky darkened and a whizzing sound was heard. Lilith didn't look up from mending a broken arm, the arrow hit her in the neck and she was dead almost immediately – with her many more.

While the knights had been fighting close to the gate, some of the Woads had moved around and send arrows across the wall, exactly to where Lilith had shepherded the wounded, frightened women and helpless kids. The confusion after this attack from across the wall was huge and it took a while before they realised what had happened.

After two hours of fighting, Arthur and the knights returned. They were all tired and went to get the blood and dirt washed from their bodies. Arthur was confused that Lilith didn't wait for him at the gate but he assumed that she was busy tending to the wounded and trying to re-establish order at the fort. He allowed a small smile to appear on his face. He was proud of his independent, fierce and clever lover. For today he kept on his armour although he believed that no second attack would follow but with Merlin one never knew.

His servant waited for him when he stepped out of his room, his face a mask of horror.

"How many?" Arthur asked shortly. He hated those questions and he wanted to get over with that. He always felt that every life lost was his own failure and responsibility.

"Twenty-one, commander" the man answered and gathered his courage: "You should go and see the dead. It's..." His voice failed him and hopelessly shook his head. Arthur frowned and foreboding settle like a dark cloud on his mind. He hurried out of his quarters, stepping into the inner court where the dead were laid out. An eerie silence reigned. He saw mothers cradling their lifeless children, siblings clinging to dead brothers or sisters. Only very few men lay there in the sand but many women and kids had not survived the raid.

Silently stepping through the rows of the dead, he looked in every single face and felt guilt, anger and hopelessness almost overwhelming him. These were innocent peasants, many of them Woads themselves who had decided to live at the fort instead of in the woods. This had been senseless slaughter.

One body was left which was placed a bit apart from the others. Whenever one of the grieving family members left, they took a detour and paid their respects to the deceased, many in the heathen way, very few in the Christian way. Arthur stepped up to this last body, dumbstruck staring into Lilith's cold and grey face. Her curls were smeared with blood and a gashing wound at her neck told its story. Arthur sank to his knees, a primal cry breaking from his lips. He gathered her up in his arms and held her close for hours.

Arthur didn't speak except for the bare necessity for weeks. He ordered Lilith being buried next to her garden, on the patch of grass where she had threatened him with her dagger. He would spend hours sitting on her burial mound or tending to her garden. Summer was in full swing now and the first flowers had already adapted to the rougher surroundings, opening their blossoms. Her final project came into full bloom many years later but Arthur and Galahad made sure it was never neglected. The knights often met in the small paradise she had created, lovers would wander the small and short paths in the garden, and children came to eat from the berries in late summer.

When Lilith was buried, Arthur put a pendant in her grave simply stating: "Here lays Lilith, brave and loyal companion of Arthur Castus." The knights never again heard him laugh like he had in these months of early spring and summer when Lilith had been in his life. With her his light-heartedness had died. What remained was duty and discipline.

 _Many centuries later, monks would find Arthur's grave at Glastonbury Abbey. A small cross told them that he was buried together with his second wife, Guinevere. No one ever asked who the first one had been. Lilith had been forgotten by myth and history alike._


End file.
